


Muffled Memories

by Yamiyoru



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-15
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-05-12 07:33:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19224568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yamiyoru/pseuds/Yamiyoru
Summary: Kanji found a new job as a assistant manager in CGI. What he didn't realize was asshole Yosuke will be his boss. Along the way, he will realize Yosuke changed. Better or worse, it didn't matter as he didn't like the new Yosuke senpai.





	Muffled Memories

**Author's Note:**

> Key words:   
> Mane/Manejya: Manager

**Chapter 1**

‘I’m Kanji. I look forward to working with everyone.’

‘Oou. Yoroshiku.’ 

‘Same here. Please take care of us.’ 

‘Let’s get along, okay.’

‘Yo.’

‘Welcome to the team, Kanji.’

_This voice...._

_‘If you’re looking for Rise or Souji, they left school.’_

_’And you’re still here? Aren’t you three always together?’_

_’Huh? Join them and be a third wheel? Why would I do that?’_

_’Not my problem.’_

_’Of course. Both Rise and Souji are out of your league, Kan~ji~kun~’_

_’Fuck you. I’m here to talk to you.’_

_’Oh no. I’m not a homo, Kanji kun._

_’Seriously, fuck you. The club president wants you to show up at the club. NOW.’_

_’Even though I told him I can’t…..*sigh* Probably about the coming competition.’_

_’Competition?’_

_’Hey, Kanji, are you interested in pairing up with me?’_

A hand was extended towards him as he stood dumbly in the doorway, stunned by the unexpected question. 

_’Are we seriously submitting this?’_

_’Why are you only complaining now! After we completed it!’_

_’BECAUSE THE STORY DOESN’T MAKE SENSE!’_

_’DON’T YELL AT ME!’_

_’YOU’RE YELLING TOO!’_

_’Oh. Ok. Ok. This is childish...Let’s get back to the topic. Which part you don’t get it? We might need to change the sequence.’_

 

_’This duck followed these two swans across an entire forest, like some sort of stalker. And to follow them, it totally ignored its exhaustion and the cuts where the branches pulled some of its feather off. Not even the bruises from the fall from the obstructing tree trunks can stop it. And yet in the end, it stayed in the frozen lake to watch the two swans fly off? I don’t get it. Isn’t this “The Ugly Duckling”? By right, it should have flew off as a swan too.’_

_’Because it isn’t.’_

_’What?’_

_’We’re not making a replica of any ugly duckling. As if a duck will ever become a swan. A swan will always be a swan and a duck will forever be a duck. It’s called “life”, Kanji.’_

‘It’s been a while, Kanji kun.’

The same hand stayed hanging before him as his new superior waited for him to take it. And the same as so many years ago, Tatsumi Kanji didn’t shake it immediately.

‘Yosuke senpai…’ 

That’s fucking right. The one and only freaking Yosuke senpai, who in the beginning, can’t stop teasing him about him being gay. Then, made him take part in a animation competition and then upped and go, disappeared on right before the biggest competition of his life. 

‘You look like you saw a ghost that you want to beat up. However that works.’ 

‘I haven’t seen you for almost 10 years. Anyone would be surprised.’

‘Of course, Kanji kun. You certainly have changed. So polite now. Keigo huh?’

 _That’s because you’re my damn boss now!_

Kanji told himself not to fall for Yosuke senpai’s taunts. It won’t do for him to be sacked on his first minute of work. Forcing himself to smile, the changed man recall the basics of ‘How to talk to your boss cum asshole senior 101’.

‘It really has been a while. How have you been?’

‘Ha.’ 

_Asshole._

Yosuke let out a curt laugh as he withdrew his hand to pat the well met junior. The once hot tempered junior has changed plenty. The Kanji he knew would have kicked a table or chair by now but no, he’s talking to him nicely with the curses kept inside. In comparison, he’s….

‘Older but more or less the same. Like this.’

Gesturing to himself from top to the bottom, Yosuke took the effort to end it with another wide smile. He truly believes he’s still the guy that no one likes but what Kanji saw is a man, who has ditched his past, taking up a new image in a set of effortless dark office wear and clean cut black hair. Change is inevitable. 

_Wow, the things society do to you._

Turning away from the scrutinizing gaze, Yosuke makes his way down the tight office. 

‘I look forward to working with you. The HR told me you’re a rare talent so I’m expecting much from you.’

 _Uhhh…. I don’t like how that sounds. Especially when it’s coming from you._

‘This is your seat.’ 

The still smaller man stops beside the table located in the middle and knocks on it, which is obviously cleared and wiped for the newcomer. 

‘Between Fuuka san here and Mariko. Here.’ 

Looks like he’s sandwiched between two ladies. Hopefully, Kanji prays they are nice women. Nodding, he places his bag on the top and almost fall off his seat when his senpai ends the introduction with the following.

‘If you must know, all the ladies here are taken. As for the guys….there’s a no office romance policy. Be careful.’ 

No. Definitely the same annoying asshole. 

.  
..  
...

‘What happened? You look terrible.’ 

Kanji waved nonchalantly at his ex-boss while keeping his head heavy on the tabletop. 

‘Don’t tell me you can’t handle your new job when I went through all that to get you the position.’

‘No..’ 

At last, Kanji takes the effort to reply.

‘Then, what is it for you to look so tired? Are you feeling ill?’

Kanji let out a huge sigh as he finally sits up to regard his friend. She watches him in concern and voices her best guess.

‘Well, you did get into a big company. Profits before people. Take your time to get used to it. I know your capabilities. You’ll do well in that company.’

‘Not that either.’ 

‘Come on, Kanji. Talk to me. I can’t help you if you don’t speak your mind.’ 

Looking into those navy blue eyes, Kanji muses over his troubles and knowing he can trust her, he releases his clammed up woe.

‘I met Yosuke senpai. And by some dumb luck, he’s also my boss.’

‘Oh, wow. _That_ Yosuke senpai?’

‘Yes! _That!_ Yosuke asshole!’

Out of habit, Naoto places her hand on her chin and analyzes Kanji’s reaction. 

‘Which is strange. You met your idol and you don’t even sound happy. I remembered distinctly you have always admired his skills as a CGI artist.’

‘I DO NOT idolize him! Besides, even if I do, whatever I admired are lost!’ 

‘That’s even stranger as such a big company wouldn’t keep an employee that doesn’t bring benefits to the company.’

‘No. No. No. I didn’t mean he sucks at his work. He’s still good at the stuff.’

‘Now you’re confusing me. One minute you said he lost his skills and the next, you assert he’s still adept in his works. Your words are contradicting themselves.’

Naoto has known this man for a long time and she’s also perfectly aware that Kanji has a tendency to stumble over his words and not explain himself well but this by far, is gibberish, even by Kanji’s standards. 

‘Ahhh!’

It didn’t take long for the man to get frustrated. This is what was getting him down the entire day. He’s not sure himself if anyone would understand him, even if he talks about it.

‘I don’t know how to explain this to you but if you have seen his works before, you’ll agree with me. There’s this certain ‘something’ in all his previous works. That when you see it, you can tell it’s him. But today, when we were designing the storyboard, it lacks that. He’s just drawing whatever the client wants.’ 

‘Well, clients have the final say, which I used to tell you too, everyday. I don’t see what’s wrong with it.’

Naoto pauses at the dejected look spreading across her friend’s features. She understands where he’s coming at.

‘Although I must say, on a personal level, since you knew him, seeing him lose the element of ‘him’ isn’t something that sits well.’

‘Not just that. It didn’t feel like I was talking to him. He used to have more fighting spirit.’

‘In what ways?’

‘Like, for example, during the meeting, he said “yes” to everything and to every pointless changes. I mean the Yosuke senpai I knew didn’t like saying “no” either but every changes!?’ 

To be honest, Naoto did not see the reason to be angry about his boss doing his job. It is their responsibility to produce a work fitting the client’s request and changes are part of the job. As his previous manager, she feels the need to remind him of the definition of ‘professionalism’ when Kanji sighed with new bleak input. 

‘The old him would have at least suggest some alternatives, rather than not speak out at all.’

.  
..  
...

‘Ah~’

Kanji’s body sighed in relief as he sinks into the blissfully warm bath. There’s still a few more months before the same temperature gets unbearable. He shall enjoy it while he still can. 

Relaxing into the back of the tub, Kanji watches the steam clouds the tiny space as it blurs the line of one tile to the other. Before they ended the night, Naoto has left him with some words of encouragement. 

_’Well, people change. And in such a big company, they change fast. We’re not high schoolers anymore. Things don’t have to progress the way we want it.’_

_’Then, what the fuck was I chasing after the entire time?!’_

_‘A memory, perhaps. Except I want to point out the possibility that he didn’t lose what you admire, it’s simply buried under layers of different factors, such as company values, social environment, peer pressure etc. Or his experiences these few years shaped him into what you saw to fit into this world. You know, like a tree in winter, when the branches were gradually pushed down to the ground with the weight of piling snow.’_

‘Like snow piling onto you…..tsk’ 

Kanji clicks his tongue in annoyance at the example. It’s a logical example that is easy to understand but a rather insensitive comparison because he’s talking about humans. Yosuke senpai’s a human, not a tree. A tree can hold more weight than humans. If that much snow fall on a person, they will freaking break!

_’OI! What are you assholes doing there?’_

_’Shit. It’s Kanji.’_

_’Nothing. Ha. Ha.’_

_’None of your business, freshman.’_

_’Like fuck there’s nothing. I saw you guys take Yosuke senpai away. Where is he?’_

_’Oh, you’re Yosuke’s bitch. I wonder where your boyfriend is.’_

_’Hahaha. Bitch. Bitch.’_  
.  
..  
… 

‘Boss, it’s eh…..’ Mariko, who’s usually in charge of answering the phone, grimaces a little before saying, ‘you know.. on the line.’ 

Other than being less vocal, Kanji has observed other changes in his senpai. 

‘What does he want this time?’ 

Such as this. This Yosuke senpai that Kanji is learning to accept, does not sugar coat his words and is not afraid to let his annoyance show. 

‘He said some parts are not able to convey the emotions of the song so they need to be changed. He’s in a nearby cafe to discuss the changes.’ 

‘...........’ 

Narrowing his eyes, Yosuke rests his head on his free hand while spinning his pen like a baton with his other set of fingers. After much contemplating, the brown orbs found their way to the tallest form in the room. 

‘Kanji, you go.’ 

And certainly very good at ‘human resource management’. 

‘What! I don’t even know what this project is.’ 

‘We hired you to train you up to the position of Vice lead. So naturally, you’re supposed to know. Eventually. And with your smartness, I’m sure you’ll pick it up very quickly.’ 

The words, on the surface are praising him but the smile on his boss’s face is saying otherwise. 

_This whoever must be one of those troublesome clients. Great._

‘So read up on the info before you go. 15 minutes to the cafe. You have the travel distance to study the details.’ 

Dropping his gaze back to the papers scattered across his work desk, His boss’s decision is final.

_You must be fucking kidding me!!!_

Gritting his teeth, Kanji debates intensely if he can slam his fist on the table. Instead, he turns to Fuuka san for the details and she passes him a folder apologetically. 

‘Oh. One more thing. He’s one of our biggest clients. Don’t make him angry. “Clients are Gods” is our motto. Ha ha ha.’ 

This time, Kanji slams the door shut without hesitation and marches to the lift. When the elevator ‘dings’ to signal its arrival immediately, the hot tempered guy regrets his reaction heavily. 

_Wait! I forgot to ask which cafe?! There’s 10 cafes out there!_

Luckily, Mariko saved his ass by jogging up to him and taps the man who’s lost in thoughts. 

‘I’ll bring you there.’ 

‘That’ll seriously help me but what about your work? I thought we are rushing for a deadline.’ Kanji questions as they both enter the lift simultaneously. 

‘It’s okay. Mane is treating us to dinner and coffee, for precisely that so I’m out to get it for everyone.’ Mariko chuckles amusingly and adds, ‘although I think he probably just wants me to go with you.’ 

‘Then, he should have made you go instead.’ 

‘Hahaha. That’s our Mane for you.’ Mariko laughs heartily and pats the new colleague on the shoulder. 

_Yeah, roundabout way to everything in life._

But seeing how tense Kanji continues to be, she tries to cheer him up.

‘Well, if it makes you feel better, I can tell you you’re not the only one. For this client, we all take turns going.’ 

‘Isn’t it rude to keep changing our representative when meeting a client?’ 

‘Ah…..well...the client is actually our Manager’s friend so he doesn’t seem to mind...too much?’--his senpai runs her slender finger along the underside of her head absently-- ‘and eh, between you and me, I think there is more to it, which makes it tricky working with him.’ 

‘More to it?’ 

‘You’ll see later.’ 

.  
..  
...

_That grey hair. No way…_

‘We are deeply sorry for making you wait.’ 

‘It’s alright. I’m the one who called suddenly.’ 

_Seriously, no way…._

‘And may I introduce my new colleague? This is Tatsumi Kanji. He joined us a few days ago. Please take good care of him, Seta san.’ 

‘Seta Souji. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tatsumi san.’ 

_Souji senpai? Holy. Fuck._

_.  
.._

‘Seta san. Regarding the changes you mentioned, which area are you specifically referring to?’ 

‘Oh yes. I was hoping I could discuss it directly with Hanamura san as to my understanding, he is the lead animator, which would mean changes should be through him. Will he be coming?’ 

‘I’m sorry but Manejya is currently out for a meeting. He apologizes for it. If it’s not too much trouble, I can relate the details to him.’ 

Mariko’s smile didn’t waver when singing her lie while Kanji exercises his facial muscles into not twitching into a nervous laugh. 

__Why are we lying?_ _

Not that Souji buys it. 

‘I see. What a pity as it seems like I have caught him at a bad time once more. Like the tenth times this month. How is he? Is he perhaps too ill to come? I hope he’s well.’ 

‘No, no. It’s simply a coincidence that he is not able to come each time.’ 

‘I’m relieved to hear that. Then, I suppose I should arrange for a meeting. Will next Friday evening be an appropriate time?’ 

>‘That I cannot promise. Please let me check with my manager and we will let you know as soon as possible.’ 

_Why does it feel like Yosuke senpai is avoiding Souji senpai?_

‘Please kindly do so.’ 

_And what is with this tension?_

As the conversation goes back and forth between his former senpai and his current one, Kanji’s forehead threatens to break into a waterfall of cold sweats. Because rather than an actual discussion about work, it seems as if Souji senpai’s only intention is to meet Yosuke senpai (for whatever reasons he doesn’t know) while Mariko senpai is just playing Taichi. 

_What is going on? This is how we treat our biggest client?_

At the bottom of a tall, empty latte mug, Souji finally relented and surrenders to the meaningless game. 

‘Aoki san, thank you for coming down. As thanks for the late hours that everyone put into each project, I have actually ordered and delivered some bentos to your office. I do hope they will be fitting to everyone’s taste. And yes, please also give me a reply to when Hanamura san can attend our celebratory drinking party for last year’s project.’ 

Picking up the bill and his suitcase, Souji makes his way to the cashier with Mariko alongside, protesting about who should foot the bill. Kanji follows, not missing the one-second-longer appraising look Souji gave him when they stood up. 

_Seriously, what is going on…????._

**Author's Note:**

> To be honest, I like Fuuka so she might appear, cross over often to my P4 stories.


End file.
